Five men fatally shot across the city
2 were ambushed by men using high-powered rifle, police say
By Gus G. Sentementes
Sun Reporter
Originally published July 16, 2007, 8:07 AM EDT

In one of the deadliest weekends of the year, five men were slain in shootings across the city, including two who were ambushed and killed by gunmen using a high-powered assault rifle.

The shootings occurred Saturday night and yesterday, and city police released the names of four of the victims this morning. City police said there have been 174 people killed in Baltimore this year through early yesterday, compared with 147 people killed for the same period last year.

The most recent killing was shortly before midnight when Earl Thomas Williams, 26, was shot several times. Police said they found him lying in the middle of the street in the 2100 block of Koko Lane, in West Baltimore's Panway/Braddish Avenue neighborhood. He was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he died this morning at 12:20 a.m.

In a double shooting in Northeast Baltimore last night, two men were shot by four men who walked out of woods near an apartment complex and opened fire at them about 10:30 p.m. A high-caliber assault-style rifle was used in the attack, which occurred in the 5700 block of Radecke Ave., police said.

The victims were identified as Maurice G. White, 22, of the 3400 block of Chesterfield Ave., and Wayne G. White, 24, of the 2900 block of Erdman Ave. The men, who were not related, were pronounced dead where they were found near a parking lot, police said.

Early yesterday, shortly before 4 a.m., police received a report of a shooting in the 1800 block of N. Gay St., where they found a 25-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, police said.

Saturday night, Yemel McMillian, 20, was shot several times in the 2800 block of Boarman Ave. in Northwest Baltimore about 9:40 p.m., police said. Paramedics took him to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 3 a.m. yesterday, police said.

One man was fatally shot and another was seriously wounded in two separate shootings in Northwest and Northeast Baltimore last night, police said.

Just before midnight, police said officers found an 18-year-old man was shot at least once in the chest in Northwest Baltimore's Central Park Heights neighborhood. The shooting occurred in the 3400 block of St. Ambrose Ave., and police said he died at Sinai Hospital at 12:20 a.m.

Police did not release the victim's name or additional details of the incident. He was the city's 175th homicide this year.

About 11:50 p.m. last night, a 23-year-old man was confronted in the 4200 block of Shamrock Ave. in Northeast Baltimore's Belair-Edison neighborhood and shot several times, city police said.

He was wounded in the face, arms and back and was treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, police said.